Ilir Selmani guarded around the clock by RENEA and FNSH after release from cell

For the past week, Ilir Selmani has been kept under constant guard by a service unit from the special RENEA force and the Rapid Intervention Force, after the security measure of “house arrest” was imposed on him. This measure will remain in force until the Special Appeals Court issues a final ruling.

The additional security measures at Selmani’s home were requested by SPAK, due to fears that he might flee. For this reason, RENEA and FNSH officers remain on guard 24 hours a day.

Selmani was released 6 days ago by the Special Appeals Court after the pretrial detention deadlines during the trial phase had expired. On June 19, 2026, the Appeals Court of the GJKKO accepted the defendant’s request and found that the measure of “arrest in prison” had lost its force due to the expiry of the legal pretrial detention time limits.

If Ilir Selmani is convicted by the Court of Appeal, he will be returned to prison immediately. Meanwhile, his protection by RENEA and FNSH continues without interruption to prevent a possible escape.

During the first-instance trial, Selmani was sentenced to 26 years in prison on the charge of murder committed in the form of a structured criminal group. He is accused of being one of the perpetrators of the murder of former police officer Santiago Malko, an incident that took place in August 2019 in Tirana.

Parallel to this process, Ilir Selmani is also a defendant in a case brought by the Elbasan prosecution on the charge of “Bringing prohibited items into prison,” after, during a search in prison, the Prison Internal Control Service found a mobile phone in his possession.